You were called out in the comments section @benzman. I was wondering about that, because I know folks here do not have agenda, except sharing our good/bad experiences. Thanks for sharing the complete story.
AGD Tempo in the house
It is very interesting to spend time with amps. You go to shows or even go to someone's house and listen to and amp and because it isn't on your gear and in your environment, it sounds good but it is insanely difficult to judge vs other gear.
So AGD is a brand I had been flirting with and finally a customer asked for a demo so I put in my order and a few days later the Tempo arrived. I dropped in into my system and all I can say is WOW. It has all the grunt required to drive my Vivids. Is warm and sweet with an extremely wide sound stage.
Even fresh out of the flight case, (no box here) it didn't sound digital at all. This sounds closer to Class A to me than Class D. I have not heard a different GaN at this point but I am fascinated by this and how good it sounds compared to other Class Ds and even Class ABs.
The other surprising part is this unit is about 1/3 the size of a normal component. I know I am a hair late to the game with GaN but damn, is it ever too late to celebrate a product.
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Please let me clear this up. I bought 2 Tempo’s from Mike with a 30 day trial in Nov of 2022. I ran them bridged They sounded good but did not have the grunt and stage as Odyssey Kismet reference monos so I sent them back to Mike within two weeks. Mike told me he could not refund my money for 60 days as he had 100k worth of equipment he had to pay for. The day after shipping I fell off my roof and suffered a spiral fracture of my femur. 8 days in the hospital and 19 in rehab. I contacted Mike and told him I can’t wait around for my money. He sent me 2500 of the 9k. I personally called Alberto and told him how Mike was jacking me around and a piss poor representative of his products. He personally told me he was removing Mike from his dealer because of his poor customer service. Mike must have worked it out with Alberto but is probably on double secret probation with him.
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@lula I can't answer your question directly (comparing the Audion to the Tempo) but this might help: I have two Tempos. I am currently using one channel each, not bridged, as mono blocks. There is a notable difference between this setup and using a single Tempo as a stereo amp. You might pose your question to Alberto. I think you will get a straight answer. |
@milpai to each his own regarding respect. TBH, I’m not sure where all of this stuff originated. No doubt folks have their own opinions about these things. I just try to be fair in calling balls and strikes. |
Respect to you sir - I too know this poster and was furious to read Mike's comment. I am not going to believe in anything he says anymore - on this forum or others. |
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@mikepowellaudio I write in defense of at least one post on this thread from @twoleftears. I know this A-goner very well and I believe him to be straight shooter regarding the vast majority of his posts. He references a YouTube video you posted on your channel on January 15, 2022 regarding a comparison you made between the JR125 class D amplifier and the AGD Tempo class D amplifier. Based on that video (and importantly, your comments made therein), he concluded you were not an AGD dealer. I viewed and commented on this YouTube video, so I understand how he came to this conclusion. In reply to a comment by @Albert-nj9xm, you wrote, “LOL, Did I say I was an AGD dealer? What idiot would be an AGD dealer when the manufacturer is selling around them, as evidenced by the "Buy it now" button on thier [sic] website?” One can reasonably conclude that you disavowed being an AGD dealer from your reply. |
Before it gets taken down, for reference, here is the full text accompanying the referenced YouTube video.
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Is Gallium Nitride "better than" Silicon in Class D Amps ? Jeff Rowland Model 125 vs. AGD Tempo24.2K subscribers Subscribe
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10,433 views Jan 15, 2022 NOTE: I AM A USER AND SELLER OF JEFF ROWLAND AMPS EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS. This video is my personal opinion, and made independent of any MFG. nothing more. JRDG 125 AGD Tempo Male Vocal 1:36 5:39 Jazz Piano 2:36 6:39 Female Vocal 3:36 7:39 Symphony 4:36 8:39 Higher Volume test: Daft Punk 11:23 9:49 Cosmic Hippo 11:39 10:07 Bee Gees 12:02 10:49 What to listen for : Jazz Piano, off the cuff the ride cymbal is audibly darker on the AGD. It would be orange brass, while Rowland would be yellow brass. The cymbal separates away from the piano better with the Rowland. Female Vocal, Her voice separates better away from the piano on the Rowland and you can hear her vocal air more distinctly on the Rowland. Symphony, Which sounds more like actual strings ? (Dont comment if your ass sits at home and never goes to the live symphony, because you have no clue) Daft Punk, Rowland has more snap and cymbal is more open AGD is thicker in the middle Bee Gees, Vocal peels off and away from the cymbals better on Rowland. Here I compare the (GaN) AGD Production Tempo to my reference (Si) Jeff Rowland Design Group Model 125. The Tempo is supposed to be a 125 "crusher" and it SHOULD be for $2,000 MORE. (The Tempo PCB fits the EXACT footprint of the B&O 250 ASX2 ICE Module, which is what the Rowland uses, yet the Rowland has Jeffs signature input section which uses dual custom made Lundahl transformers for input decoupling surrounded by a Class A Analog input section developed over 40 years designing analog audio circuits) Lets see what trumps what. Audio design experience or latest technology. Here are the specs compared. (As published on each MFG’s respective webpages) Rowland MODEL 125 AGD TEMPO Price in USD $3500 $5500 Output Power (Stereo) 125W@ 8Ohm 100W@ 8Ohm Output Power (Bridge-tied Load) 500W@ 8Ohm 400W@ 4Ohm Frequency Response ( -3dB) 5 Hz -130 kHz 5Hz - 80 kHz Input Impedance 40k ohms 40K ohms THD + Noise @ 1kHz 0.008% 0.01% Damping Factor @ 1kHz 500 not published Overall Gain 26 dB not published Weight (weighed on my shipping scale) 10.4 LB 11 LB Overall Dimensions h-w-d 68mm x 348 x 190 95mm x 280 x 180 My opinion is that the Jeff Rowland is not only better looking, sounding and clearly more dynamic, but its $2,000 less expensive. The decision is a no brainer. My feeling is that the Tempo is a failed attempt at greatness while the other amplifiers made by AGD are the real front runners. Use AGD if the $5500 cost is within means and your rig is forward or sharp sounding. This will tame it . Use Rowland to build your high perf High End rig and give it life and punch that grabs your speakers by the Cojones. Take action on this value and contact me to purchase. Go to 11stereo.com to find out what advantages and benefits you receive from being a client of mine. (theres a reason I call you client rather than customer) Enjoy ! Mikey ! |
@arafiq I agree with your comfort level with buying from dealers whom you trust. For similar reasons, I will continue to buy from @mikepowellaudio. |
There appears to be some confusion and/or disconnect about the relationship of @mikepowellaudio to 11Stereo and the relationship of both as a dealer to AGD products. (Mikey is an AGD dealer via his business name. His website is 11Stereo.) I’m not sure some of the prior posts reflect “an agenda” worthy of a tin foil cap. But I’m willing to acknowledge that some member posts, such as those by @twoleftears are innocent inquiries based on a YouTube video that @mikepowellaudio posted on January 15, 2022. |
@tubeguy76 Mikey sells AGD 🙄 |
This is an interesting amplifier for the budget minded I guess. It bothers me when it says it can compete with a $10-$15,000 amplifier. What does that mean. I read the description within the website and it's very hard to understand for the mortal person. I've always had a problem with marketing from audio companies who do an extremely poor job describing their product. But this is better than most it just I can't understand any of it What is so compelling about the amplifier it is certainly intriguing It seems mostly for efficient speakers as it would have a tough time driving a lot of main speakers but I could be wrong. The size of it is of concern , am I correct in hearing that it's only 11 pounds which seems pretty remarkable. I am assuming it's class D which I've always been fearful of . Unless you spend a lot of money on a class D it's not worth it. Seems like it's about a $5000 stereo amplifier. And it's 200 or 100 W per Channel. I read through the entire thread and it was tough learning about the amplifier other than reading all the accolades and disturbing posts.
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This is an interesting amplifier for the budget minded I guess. It bothers me when it says it can compete with a $10-$15,000 amplifier. What does that mean. I read the description within the website and it's very hard to understand for the mortal person. I've always had a problem with marketing from audio companies who do an extremely poor job describing their product. But this is better than most it just I can't understand any of it What is so compelling about the amplifier it is certainly intriguing It seems mostly for efficient speakers as it would have a tough time driving a lot of main speakers but I could be wrong. The size of it is of concern , am I correct in hearing that it's only 11 pounds which seems pretty remarkable. I am assuming it's class D which I've always been fearful of . Unless you spend a lot of money on a class D it's not worth it. Seems like it's about a $5000 stereo amplifier. And it's 200 or 100 W per Channel. I read through the entire thread and it was tough learning about the amplifier other than reading all the accolades and disturbing posts.
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Regardless of whether someone is a dealer or not, I will buy from @verdantaudio. |
MIKE POWELL HERE.... The problem is B.S. is spread so THICK in these forums and you guys believe whats posted here. Consider the possibility propaganda and lies are spread here. I have ALWAYS sold AGD, and if my opinion 2 years ago was that one Rowland model was a better value than one revision of one model AGD, why in Gods green earth would that be proof I dont carry AGD ? Do you realize how under the ether many of you are ? You are conditioned to believing the narrative on these forums which are RIFE with misinformation. Look at WHO leads it... the guys with over 5,000 posts... ever ask yourself WHO these guys are and WHY they sit on here EVERY DAY all day long ?? Smell the coffee guys, dont be cows in a herd.. Lula I can totally compare the two for you and am available every day. All the best..
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I have the Tempo di Gan paired with the Meitner MA-3 DAC/Streamer. It has been said that the Tempo competes with $10-15K amps. I believe that this is absolutely true. It replaced a Boulder 866 which is many times the price of the Tempo. The Tempo drives the Maggie .7's or RAAL Requisite "headphones" both of which combine very nicely with the REL Carbon Limited sub. Being retired, somedays I listen for 6-8 hours with absolutely no fatigue but incredible detail. The sounstage is very wide and deep as well. My cables are all Siltech and a Puritan 156 and Puron conditioner feed the system. I have owned many Pass amps and a Gryphon Diablo among others. The Tempo is easily the best of them all combined with the Meitner MA-3. I can only imagine how good the top offerings are from AGD. I am entirely pleased with the Tempo! |
@bluethinker See above. |
The sound is clean, but not sterile; smooth; dimensional; lots of ’inner detail’. The only amp I did a fair comparison with (all the same components except the Pass requires RCA cables from pre to amp) was a Pass XA 25. The Pass was a little more laid back, was clearly less smooth, was less detailed, and was less musical. I haven’t had a tube amp since the late ’60s, so I can’t comment on that comparison. My preamp is tube. I hope that helps. I’m sure you realize my comments are are about performance in the context of my system, my room, and my particular hearing and tastes. I do think the AGD products are superb. |
@markmuse - I’d welcome your thoughts on the sound not the tempo. I was told the tempo was more tube like than the Audion. I’ve not heard either, but have been intrigued with the positive feedback I’ve heard. What is the sonic signature of the tempo? |
@kayakerf Yes. Definitely better than bridging them. I believe this way is called vertical bi-amping. |
@markmuse - are you bi-amping one tempo per speaker? |
They get progressively better. That said, the Tempo can and does compete sonically with amps that are in the $10-$15K range. I say that without a hair of hesitation. As you rise in quality, the amps progressively get better. The move from Tempo to Audion is noticeable as you are moving to two separate PSs so any risk of crosstalk is gone. As you rise further, parts, filtering, etc... gets better. But it is evolution, not revolution. It is obvious they are from the same company and if you listen to the Tempo vs the other amps you would say they are progressively a little better. It never works that amps that are 3x more expensive are 3x better. Vs external competitors, I would tell you that each amp is fairly priced in terms of the quality it delivers. Vs other AGD amps it is tough because the Tempo sets a high bar for their entry level amp. Eventually I will have one of each of these (tempo, audion, gran vivace, alto and andante) to loan out. I need to sell enough to justify that investment and the Tempo represents the line quite well. |
BTW....I continue to LOVE the Tempo which is a wonderful amp. I have also had the Alto and Andante preamps here and the Gran Vivace power amps. They are all shockingly good at the prices they sell at. I have done some direct comparisons vs. some expensive gear and have been pleasantly surprised. I would say all of these units represent a value, even flagship stuff. |
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As promised, one-week report on the AGD Tempo. It's either been in standby or fully turned on for the week. By the end of day 2 I noticed a deepening of the already good soundstage, but other than that there hasn't been much change. I'm guessing that this is one product where you don't have to wait 200 hours or 500 hours to hear it at its best. In the previous post I mentioned definition and resolution. Over the week a third term came to me: clarity. The Tempo is a precise instrument. It's the most revealing amplifier I've had in the system, yet at the same time it successfully walks that tightrope of never sounding cold, or harsh, or unwelcoming. It will depend on individuals' benchmarks as to whether they will find it sweet or not; for me, it's really middle of the road. It's a reviewer's cliche, but the amp inserted into the system revealed more about the engineering of recordings than ever before. Well-recorded music sounded great, while--yes--it could also show up shortcomings. I listened to two CDs by an interesting 17C composer, Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, and the contrast was striking. On one, the small group of musicians was located well beyond the front wall, and arrayed in an appropriate arc. On the other, the slightly larger group was spread from speaker to speaker, but with little depth. It's been well behaved, entirely silent (except when called upon to produce music) and only getting very slightly warm to the touch. Highly recommended. |
Another amp in this price range to consider is the Kinki EX-B7. These 250 watt mono blocks are used by Srajen at 6 moons as his reference.....and he has heard the AGD Gran Vivace amps. These amps are $3500 a pair and are made super well. 2.5 meg bandwidth.....all the input and output stages mounted on one board with input and output jacks directly soldered to that board.....very tweak. Check this out: https://www.kinki-studio.com/ex-b7
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knowing ralph and his excellent reputation for quality of product and sound, i would agree that ralph’s new gan amp should be considered and compared against alberto’s tempo/audions alberto does provide an in home trial period, he is based out of los angeles, ships fast, very responsive am sure ralph will chime in with his policy in this regard, once he is ramped up and shipping his gan amps |
I had a couple of Tempos ( bridged) for a couple of weeks in my system. Definitely sound good but a little soft in my system. Didn’t seem to have the grunt of my Odyssey monoblocks. |
